5G遠距醫療於偏鄉地區之應用現況與展望

Role of 5G telemedicine in rural areas: current applications and prospects

偏鄉地區因地理環境等因素，醫療資源相對不足。隨著資通訊技術的發展與完備，遠距醫療被視為解決偏鄉醫療不平等的有效途徑。同時醫療模式於COVID-19疫情期間發生轉變，為減少感染風險，相關法規適時放寬，促使醫療機構與民眾採用通訊診療，加速大眾對於數位醫療的接受度。然而，遠距醫療的順利推行有賴於快速且穩定的網路基礎設施。第五代行動通訊技術（5th Generation Mobile Networks, 5G）具有高頻寬、廣連結與低延遲特性，能夠結合遠距醫療，實現即時同步診療影像分享，進行遠端診斷與諮詢，使醫療得以跨越地理障礙。本文針對偏鄉醫療需求、遠距醫療的政策發展、疫情影響與5G技術優勢等相關文獻進行盤點，歸納5G遠距醫療模式在偏鄉應用的實證案例，說明其在專科會診與慢性病管理等方面的實施成效，並探討未來發展方向與政策建議，期望後續建立符合實務需求的偏鄉5G遠距醫療模式，提升醫療資源使用效率並落實醫療可近性。

Rural and remote areas often face a relative shortage of health-care resources due to geographical and environmental constraints. With advances in information and communication technologies, telemedicine has emerged as an effective means of addressing health-care inequities in rural communities. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shift in health-care delivery approaches. To reduce the risk of viral transmission, regulations governing teleconsultations were temporarily relaxed, facilitating broader adoption by health-care providers and the public and thereby increasing societal acceptance of digital health technologies. However, effective implementation of telemedicine depends on the availability of fast and reliable network infrastructure. Fifth-generation mobile networks (5G), characterized by high bandwidth, broad connectivity, and low latency, enable real-time synchronous sharing of diagnostic images for remote consultation, thereby overcoming geographical barriers to health-care access. In this study, we reviewed the literature on the health-care needs of rural areas, policy evolution of telemedicine, implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, and technical advantages of 5G. In addition, we compiled evidence-based case studies on the application of 5G telemedicine in rural settings, evaluating its effectiveness in facilitating specialty consultations and chronic disease management. Furthermore, we explored future directions and policy recommendations, aiming to establish practical 5G telemedicine models for enhancing health-care resource efficiency and promote accessibility in rural areas.